Music – Instruments – Stringed
Reexamination Certificate
2002-01-30
2003-12-02
Lockett, Kimberly (Department: 2837)
Music
Instruments
Stringed
C084S293000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06657113
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to stringed musical instruments, particularly to guitars, and more specifically to guitar fretboards, including molded guitar fretboards and molded guitars.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Most stringed instruments comprise a fingerboard, which is typically a long strip of wood against which strings are pressed during play of the instrument. On many stringed instruments, such as guitars, the fingerboard, or fretboard, is fitted with small metal frets against which the strings are pressed so as to produce different musical notes in
1
increments when the strings are plucked or strummed.
In recent years, some portions of the process of guitar fretboard construction have become automated. However, there is still considerable time and effort required for fitting and assembling the various components of the fretboard, even though the components themselves may be produced in an automated manner.
A top view of a typical conventional fretboard
100
is shown in FIG.
1
A. The fretboard
100
typically comprises a straight section of hardwood, often ebony or rosewood. A plurality of slots (not shown in the figure) are cut across the width of the fretboard into which are installed frets
110
(usually consisting of fretwire), which stand above the fretboard surface by about 0.030-0.045″. By pressing down on a guitar string between the frets at various positions on the fretboard, the user can produce different musical notes. A typical fretboard length
101
for a guitar is 19″. A first fretboard end width
102
for a fretboard length of 19″ is typically, 1.7″, whereas a second fretboard end width
103
for the same length fretboard is typically 2.1″.
The fretboard
100
forms a “musical note scale” defined by a specific distance between each of the frets
110
. This specific distance diminishes from left to right in FIG.
1
A and requires that the frets must be spaced precise distances apart. The first fret on the left is located a distance (from the left end) of 1/17.8171 of the ‘scale length’, where the scale length is defined as the total length of the guitar string (typically 25″), set into oscillation. The second fret is set to the right of the first fret at a distance equal to 1/17.817 of the remaining distance (the scale length minus the first fret distance). This pattern of distance spacing continues for the remaining frets, typically
19
-
24
frets in total depending on the guitar.
The top of fretboard
100
is contoured with a curved or arched-shape, as shown in
FIG. 1B
, which illustrates an end view of the fretboard
100
of FIG.
1
A. This shape is intentionally provided for the comfort of the user while forming bar chords, which require more finger pressure on the fretboard than open chords. A guitar that has its strings set low for ease of chording is termed to have a ‘low action’ while strings that are set high and require greater pressure for chording are said to have a ‘high action’. The radius of curvature used for fretboards typically varies from 7 to 16″, but a radius of 12 to 16″ may be chosen to suit the average user. A fretboard height
104
for a 19″ long fretboard as in
FIG. 1
A is typically ¼″.
FIG. 1C
illustrates a side view of a conventional neck and fretboard assembly. At each fret position on the fretboard
100
, the fretwire must be cut to the correct width, and the -edges must be filed to a comfortable shape for a user's hand and fingers. Finally, all of the frets
110
(typically
19
in total) may be filed or sanded to provide a horizontal surface that is level or straight prior to gluing the entire fretboard
100
, including the frets
110
, to guitar neck
120
. Although specific tolerances for the “level” of all the frets of a fretboard are seldom found in the prior art literature, the tolerances appear to range from approximately 0.005-0.010″ prior to tensioning the strings the guitar neck
120
may typically comprise a truss rod
130
(shown in dashed lines) inserted therethrough in a cavity along the length of the guitar neck
120
and typically in the center thereof, extending from headstock
140
past heel
150
into the guitar body. The first fretboard end width
102
(see
FIG. 1A
) is measured at an end of the fretboard located at nut
160
, whereas second fretboard end width
103
(see
FIG. 1A
) is measured at another end of the fretboard located between the heel
150
and a bridge (not shown) over which the guitar strings are passed.
“Steel” fretwire is made of a hard nickel steel alloy, sometimes called “nickel silver”. Although the fretwire used in frets is subject to wear by constant string friction during usage, it can last several years before replacement is required. Fretwire replacement and alignment costs for an entire set of frets on a fretboard can be quite costly.
The requirement for high precision in fret construction and placement, together with the high cost of replacing worn frets are some drawbacks of the use of fretwire.
Several known arrangements exist which have attempted to overcome some of the drawbacks inherent with the installation of fretwire on a conventional wooden guitar fretboard. In one such arrangement, a fretboard and frets are machined with a computer milling machine. Such an arrangement, although able to produce a fretboard and frets with shapes and dimensions of high accuracy, is not well suited to the low-cost production of a fretboard and frets, thereby imposing a barrier with respect to its practical use. Other known arrangements employ the concept of having a molded fretboard (and/or molded guitar comprising that molded fretboard) having integral frets, thereby reducing concerns relating to the placement and preparation of frets at particular positions on the fretboard. Examples of patents making reference to a fretboard for a guitar, with the fretboard having integral frets, include: Canadian Patent 1,080,522 issued to Bond on Jul. 1, 1980; U.S. Pat. No. 5,072,643 issued to Murata on Dec. 17, 1991; U.S. Pat. No. 4,290,336 issued to Peavey on Sept. 22, 1981; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,033,351 issued to Nomura on Jul. 23, 1991.
However, there are still drawbacks relating to the above-listed patents. Although some known arrangements, such as those in the Bond patent, appear to discuss the concept of providing integral frets that have good wear characteristics as compared to steel frets, there is little indication as to how these characteristics are specifically obtained. There are references to the use of glass fibers in Murata and a glass-filled neck in Peavey. However, the purpose of the glass fibers, as described in Murata, is to provide strength, and not abrasion-resistance. Peavey does not specifically mention how frets are fabricated, what they are made of, or how they are integrated with the finger board.
The use of glass beads and resin in a musical instrument is taught in U.S. Pat. No. 5,911,168 issued to Enserink on Jun. 8, 1999. However, the glass beads as described in Enserink have a low density and are not used for the purpose of providing strength or preventing abrasion but for the purpose of decreasing overall weight. These glass beads would be buoyant and are not suitable for forming a surface layer on a fretboard. Additionally, the wall thickness of the glass beads is thin (1-3 microns) and is unlikely to provide adequate abrasion resistance, in that the bead wall would most likely collapse under any significant pressure exerted thereon.
Therefore, there is a need for a guitar fretboard that can overcome at least one of the drawbacks of the prior art arrangements.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a molded fretboard for use with a musical instrument, said fretboard having frets molded integrally herewith, said frets having abrasion resistant characteristics and being composed, in a working region thereof, of a molded mixture including glass beads and resin, said mixture having a higher proportion by volume of glass beads than of resin, and s
Baker & Botts L.L.P.
Herman Alexander Béla
Lockett Kimberly
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